Chiefs defense plays starring role in dominant playoff victory

Wiki Article

Chiefs' defense plays starring role in dominant playoff victory Published: Jan 12, 2019 at 02:52 PM NFL.com Columnist KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- This wasn't the script that anybody expected to play out inside Arrowhead Stadium. If the were going to claim their first home playoff win in 25 years, it was supposed to be star quarterback receiving the bulk of the credit in the end. A defense that had been feeble and frustrating all season was an unlikely candidate to play a starring role. Yet that is exactly what happened Saturday, which means the rest of the AFC should be on notice. The ' over the was the kind of victory this team needed. Nobody doubted Kansas City would score points in the postseason, not with Mahomes and the league's best offense benefitting from a first-round bye. The real question was whether the ' defense would eventually ruin all the optimism that had been building around a team that earned the top seed in the AFC playoffs. That unit finished the regular season ranked 31st in yards allowed and 24th in points per game. There was little reason to believe in Kansas City's defense until this contest began. Now there's plenty to like about this bunch, especially since the just dominated a team that had won 10 of its last 11 games. "The key was getting pre sure on that monster they have at quarterback (Andrew Luck) and not letting them run the ball," said inside linebacker . "We did a good job of just playing good, solid defense and just playing ball. Finally, it's all coming together for us." Ragland's sense of relief shouldn't be underestimated. The have struggled to stop the run and the pa s during most of this season, and Kary Vincent Jr. Jersey they've played almost the entire year without star safety , who didn't suit up in this game. Kansas City had been especially underwhelming when facing Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks. In six games against players of that stature -- a group that included , , , and -- they had allowed an average of 38 points per game. That same defense wasn't on the field against Indianapolis. The unit that showed up Saturday didn't care about the 200 rushing yards the gained in , and they weren't awed by Luck or an offensive line that has quickly earned a reputation as the best in the NFL. The believed they could produce a better defensive performance than anyone had seen from them all season. It was just a matter of everything coming together Andrew Beck Jersey at the right time. The -- the best team in the league on third down -- finished the game with no third-down conversions in nine attempts. They gained just 263 total yards, including a paltry 91 yards in the first half. As for that dominant offensive line, the unit that was capable of controlling tempo and helping the chew up clock, it helped Indianapolis hold the ball for all of 20 minutes, 11 seconds. In other words, it was like the suddenly found themselves fighting for points against the '85 . The say there were no secrets to their succe s. It just came down to their collective attitude. "It's the approach we were taking out there," said inside linebacker . "It's not about the stuff that coach (defensive coordinator Bob Sutton) is calling. It's not about what we're doing. It's how we're doing it. We're playing with aggre sivene s. We're having fun. We're jumping around. It's just a different type of vibe from our defense. It's never too late and we caught on at the right time." "We just played hard," added cornerback . "Everybody locked in on the little things and took care of the little details. One thing that told us when we came to the sidelines was that everybody was playing inspired football. Everybody was flying around and celebrating and having fun. That's what we we're doing and that's what we need going forward." The really couldn't pin down exactly when their change in attitude happened. They've had a strong pa s rush all season, so good in fact that they tied Pittsburgh with a league-high 52 sacks. What they lacked, however, was consistent tackling, reliable coverage and a penchant for getting off the field in a timely fashion. None of those i sues emerged during this win over Indianapolis. Some of that newfound succe s can be traced to Sutton's willingne s to change his personnel, as younger players like cornerback and safety have brought more athleticism to the secondary. More of the ' brilliance is also the direct result of returning to a dependable formula. Kansas City was most dangerous this season when its offense raced out to early leads and allowed the defense to settle in to a comfort zone. That's exactly what happened Saturday, as Mahomes, who finished with 278 pa sing yards and no touchdowns, led his team to a 17-0 advantage before the ever cro sed midfield. The question now is whether Kansas City can keep this type of defense rolling as it heads toward . They'll either see the or the , both of whom beat the with stellar quarterback play. Brady threw for 340 yards and a touchdown in , while Rivers led the to in Arrowhead Stadium after his team trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter. But the defense that faced those squads wasn't nearly as confident as the one Kansas City fields now. The didn't even spend much time celebrating the fact that this is Kansas City NFL Denver Broncos Jersey 's first playoff win since the 1993 season. As defensive end noted, "This is a new era. It's a new team, new mindset and we're changing the culture here." Added Ragland: "That stuff happened in past years. We have to worry about what's ahead of us and going forward. We have Coach (Andy) Reid and we have Pat leading the way. Whatever happened in the past, damn all that. I'm going forward. Now is now. We'll take this opportunity and run with it because you don't get too many like this." Reid reinforced that attitude as he walked toward the tunnel at the end of the game. As fans applauded him, he held up two fingers to symbolize that Kansas City needed only two more wins to be world champions. It didn't matter much that the already had set up their first-ever opportunity to play for the AFC title in their home stadium. Their belief is this season won't be succe sful unle s they're bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Kansas City. For most of this season, it's been obvious that such a goal wouldn't happen without plenty of magic from Mahomes. This season has been about his rise, his brilliance and the incredibly bright future he's created for this franchise. After Saturday's win, it's looking like Mahomes will have a little more help in that quest for a championship. It's just that now it's finally coming from a place that nobody ever expected. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
https://eduardometg20854.mywikiparty.com/320471/premier_league_round_up_sat_25th_august_including_manchester_united_vs_fulham
Click here Click here